Drafting Whales

In racing (car, bicycle, skating), wind resistance is a major enemy. Drafting is a method of avoiding drag by traveling immediately behind another racer, inside his slipstream. Whales are players that play at very high stakes, and are sometimes given rebates by the casino. Although many play at private tables, this is not always true. Many also like the main floor. By “drafting whales,” I mean playing at the same or neighboring table as a whale. The casino is likely to spend time watching him and not you. There is some danger that they may pick up on your play while watching his. But I think this is a fairly minor risk. If you can’t find a whale, a celebrity also works.

Conversation

It is generally believed that you have to interact with people to look less like a counter. Let me break this into three groups of people: pit bosses, dealers, and other players.

If the PB engages you in conversation, then by all means you must take part. You can also look like you are open to conversation by looking not quite in her direction, or looking bored. The higher the level of betting, the more important such conversation becomes. This is also more important for young players who are betting heavily. This does not mean you should make yourself a pain and force a conversation. If you are not betting heavily, and particularly if you are young, the PB would rather not be bothered.

 I rarely talk to a dealer unless playing heads-up (only player at the table). Generally, there is little gain. Some people would disagree, but I am barely aware of their existence. As pointed out in the previous chapter, they generally don’t care.

Talking to other players is up to you. Many people believe it shows that you are not concentrating on the cards or that you are a typical gambler. But I generally avoid such discussions for two reasons: I don’t want to get into a discussion involving Blackjack advice. And, it can slow the game. There are better ways of indicating that you are not concentrating intently on the game, and many long-time gamblers are silent.

Of course, you can chat with a friend or cocktail waitress. But this is not always possible.

 © 2009 Norman Wattenberger